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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 914
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What do you do when a new GC or customer asks you to do a small job now, but tells you about this realllll big job they've got coming up. They're trying to get a discount. Do you give a better price or the same? Do you ever see the big job later?

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,381
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Eagle:
Talk of the "big job coming up" is just that, TALK.
It ain't a job till you have a signed contract.
I used to get the "talkers", but somehow most have gone away.
Had one a few weeks ago; 400ksf building, needs a 4000 amp, 480 service and the plant moved. Spent about a half day, looking at existing plant & running some budget numbers for the GC.
He may have had a corronary....told him a budget number of $450,000.00 and that he needs "plans". Haven't heard a peep since he hung up.
John


John
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 324
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Eagle, got one better than that! Get a call on the answering machine today from the VP of a BIG commercial company who we sat down with two weeks ago trying to get something going.

I did the VP's house about two years ago. I said here comes the money as soon as I heard his voice. As my mouth watered thinking of a $250K job he began to say he needs me to put some yard lights at his house for the holiday season... Ah rat turds!

BUT the next message on the machine was his chief estimator calling for a bid on a new hospital wing.

Was it luck or just that good ole danglin' carrot?

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
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how many times has the 'big job' fallen thru ?
thanks but no favoritism, no free passes & no prisoners...

[This message has been edited by sparky (edited 11-25-2002).]

Joined: Dec 2001
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The only thing worse than that is when they are standing there with your final payment in their shirt pocket, and they ask for that little favor. The longer I'm around, the more I realize that anything worth doing is worth getting paid for. All this "free stuff" is garbage. I will also add that it always happens again, if they get away with it the first time.
Don't get me wrong though, I've done favors for other crafts on the job, but on the job only. I hooked up an icemachine for a GC the other day, but he has done some things for me that has saved many hours in labor. If I would have insisted on getting paid though, he would have paid me to do it.

See how many hamburgers McD's will give you with no payment,
Doc


The Watt Doctor
Altura Cogen
Channelview, TX
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,236
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Sigh...

A GC I work for said the other day after I started a T&M job for him.

He said: "I didn't budjet much for the electric, be easy on me..."

Boy that gets my goat, perhaps he could consult me on the budjet before he accepts the job!

BTW, that was the lawyer's office in this thread ...

This same GC plays the "dangle the carrot" game a lot with me... But I'm getting tougher!

[Linked Image]


-Virgil
Residential/Commercial Inspector
5 Star Inspections
Member IAEI
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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I'd suggest something along the lines of:

"A really big job, eh? That's fine. As an existing customer I'll cut you a good deal on that when it comes along."

Even if you do discount the small job, you can bet they'll still want a big discount of the big job anyway, if it happens to be real.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
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Contractor 101.... fill in the blanks...


In God we trust all others pay ______

Money talks,B_______t walks

Joined: Apr 2002
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Amen Sparky!

Based on my experiences, the "BIG" job rarely comes back to you. Sometimes it's an experienced cheapo just working their game, other times it's a new contractor that doesn't know how to bid, but really thinks they are going to get more work. Either way, I'm not the contractor for them.

Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
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Don't forget..... "My brother needs alot of work done, I'll have him call you". These people are completely backwards. You might get a deal when you are a good customer who pays in a timely manner and dosen't bitch about the price every time.

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